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From The Socialist newspaper, 21 October 2020
Test and Trace U-turn on stopping local case reporting
(Click to enlarge)
An NHS clinical contact tracer
NHS Test and Trace instructed its clinical caseworkers, who phone people with positive Covid results, to stop 'escalating' single cases in schools to the local ('tier one') health protection teams on 6 October.
This apparent disconnect between national contact tracing and local follow-up was exclusively reported in the Socialist of 8 October. But on 16 October, management told clinical caseworkers to "disregard... the request not to escalate cases from education settings to Tier 1."
The ten days in between saw growing questions from school staff, parents and others. This followed from the 'Stop Press' report in the Socialist, posted on social media by National Education Union member Martin Powell-Davies, and widely circulated.
Why had the instruction not to report a single case gone out? Wouldn't this have meant more delay before health protection teams know what's happening in their area? (See the Socialist of 15 October.)
Maybe it's a coincidence the instruction was withdrawn? Or maybe it's a climbdown by the Department of Health, which was apparently unable to provide any answers to these and other basic questions.
Either way, it's one more sign that the centralised, Serco and Sitel-run test-and-trace system needs taking out of their big business claws. Instead, it should be run as a locally based, publicly owned, fully funded and democratically controlled public service.
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
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In The Socialist 21 October 2020:
Lockdown
Health before profit - Work or full pay
Wales 'firebreak' lockdown fails to protect workers
Liverpool lockdown: suspicion and anger
Newcastle lockdown: stress and breakdowns
Leicester lockdown: disillusionment and anger
Unison
Why the Socialist Party is backing Hugo Pierre for Unison general secretary
International
Nigeria protests: 'This movement needs to fight the whole rotten capitalist system'
Horrific murder in Paris: fight intolerance and racism!
South Africa: Mass day of action for permanent jobs and a living wage
News
Tories reduce winter homeless funding: reverse the cuts,use the empty homes!
World capitalism's terrified strategists abandon austerity - for now
Coronavirus
Test and Trace U-turn on stopping local case reporting
Oxbridge gets private Covid tests: pool resources to test us all!
Millennials disillusioned with 'democracy'
Workplace
RMT: Programme to fight redundancies and cuts
Action on Covid transmission in schools now
FCC dismiss Unison activist Tony Smith
Optare workers strike over pay broken 'promise'
Solidarity with Deliveroo Couriers in York
Campaigns
Students: Give us our money back
Fight for your future at the online rally
Southampton: Coxford community condemns racist attack
Socialism 2020: Will you help our finance appeal?
Selling the Socialist: increase in NHS anger
Truth about Zane: Cover-up Tories crack
Kent: Chaotic privatised asylum process
Teignmouth hospital closure threat ... again!
Readers' opinion
Books that inspired me: For Whom the Bell Tolls
Beware the billionaires bearing gifts
Disabled students let down by "rotten education system"
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